How to distinguish normal from disordered children with poor language or motor skills.

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS:

We tested the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) hypothesis that so-called specific developmental disorders are marked by a pattern of specific discrepant achievement, and an alternative hypothesis that children with these disorders show a pattern of relatively pervasive low achievement.

METHODS & PROCEDURES:

Children with a diagnosis of Mixed Receptive Expressive Language Disorder (RELD; n = 21) were compared with children with no previously suspected disorder but low standard language scores ( < 80; n = 22) selected from a representative sample, and children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD; n = 20) were compared with children with no previously suspected disorder but low standard motor skills scores (n = 28) selected from a representative sample.

OUTCOMES & RESULTS:

Children with diagnosed disorders were more pervasive underachievers. The RELD group obtained lower scores on measures of verbal comprehension, emotion understanding, theory of mind, working memory and response inhibition; the DCD group obtained lower scores on measures of perceptual organization, verbal comprehension, receptive and expressive language, and visual inspection time.

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS:

We conclude that relatively pervasive underachievement distinguishes disordered from normal low achievers.

• Authors: Murray Dyck, Jan Piek
• Journal: International journal of language & communication disorders (Int J Lang Commun Disord) 2010 May-Jun Vol. 45 Issue 3 Pg. 336-44 ISSN: 1460-6984 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20144011 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Child
• Child Language
• Child, Preschool
• Developmental Disabilities (diagnosis, psychology)
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• Female
• Humans
• Language Development Disorders (diagnosis, psychology)
• Language Tests
• Male
• Models, Psychological
• Motor Skills
• Movement Disorders (diagnosis, psychology)
• Neuropsychological Tests